To you, when did Britain stop being "Great"?

[Sad Sprinter]

From speaking to those older than me, there always seems to be a difference in opinions when Britain to them stopped being "Great" Britain-or if it ever was at all. My grandfather thinks Britain went down the drain after the 50s, my aunt reckons it was the early 90s. Most young people don't believe in a "Great Britain" and if they did, I doubt they would know when to say it was. A Telegraph poll recently found most people in Britain think it is now less "Great" than it was 20 years ago, but I can't imagine 1997 being the pinnacle of British power and excellence. So I ask, when do you personally think Britain stopped being "Great Britain"? Perhaps it never was? Or perhaps it still is?

 

[GusB]

From speaking to those older than me, there always seems to be a difference in opinions when Britain to them stopped being "Great" Britain-or if it ever was at all. My grandfather thinks Britain went down the drain after the 50s, my aunt reckons it was the early 90s. A Telegraph poll recently found most people in Britain think it is now less "Great" than it was 20 years ago, but I can't imagine 1997 being the pinnacle of British power and excellence. So I ask, when do you personally think Britain stopped being "Great Britain"? Perhaps it never was, or perhaps it still is.

Things haven't been quite the same since telegraph poles disappeared.

 

[roversfan2001]

Based entirely off history lessons in school, the end of World War 2.

 

[Sad Sprinter]

Things haven't been quite the same since telegraph poles disappeared.

I knew that was going to attract someone's attention.

 

[RichmondCommu]

The country has been on a downward spiral since the of the First World War but in my opinion its still a great place to live.

 

[fowler9]

I've always found it quite a bizarre title in the first place. And that doesn't mean I don't think Britain is a great place to live, there are much worse places. As a nation it has done a lot of good things and a lot of bad things.

 

[radamfi]

"Great Britain" is merely a physical geographical term for the largest island in the British Isles. It has never meant that the country is "great". Imagine how arrogant that would look to foreigners if that was the case. There are similarly named island groups elsewhere in the world where you have "greater" and "lesser".

 

[Sad Sprinter]

"Great Britain" is merely a physical geographical term for the largest island in the British Isles. It has never meant that the country is "great". Imagine how arrogant that would look to foreigners if that was the case. There are similarly named island groups elsewhere in the world where you have "greater" and "lesser".

That is true, I heard it was made to distinguish from Brittany.

I'm not saying Britain is "Great Britain" or ever was, but others seem to think it was up to a certain point. I'm just interested in hearing when that point was.

 

[cjmillsnun]

In a purely geographical sense, Great Britain will always be Great Britain.

When did it stop being great for me?

June 24th 2016.

 

[fowler9]

"Great Britain" is merely a physical geographical term for the largest island in the British Isles. It has never meant that the country is "great". Imagine how arrogant that would look to foreigners if that was the case. There are similarly named island groups elsewhere in the world where you have "greater" and "lesser".

That is of course correct. It just gives people an excuse to say "Lets make Britain Great again" though and I would be fascinated to know their response and what they would do to make it great again.

 

[DynamicSpirit]

If you ask me it's never been the same since we let France steal the Duchy of Aquitaine from us. That's when the rot started. Then they stopped burning heretics at the stake. Wishy washy liberals! Pah! And don't get me started on how the country went downhill when they closed all the workhouses.... No respect for your betters! Should never have let Paine's The Age of Reason get distributed here. New-fangled rubbish undermining our Great country and giving people all sorts of seditious ideas. Now people don't even bother using the subjunctive mood in their verbs correctly. Mutter mutter grumble...

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

About the time that the resident Brythonic speaking peoples were subjected to subjugation.

 

[GusB]

I think the pivotal moment was when Gina G was our entry for the Eurovision song contest. Let's face it, it all went downhill from there.

 

[TheEdge]

Probably the submergence of Doggerland and subsequent loss of land territory. Oh, and when we recognised Australians as people rather than criminals.

 

[AlterEgo]

World War One was the catalyst for decline in many European countries and I'd put 1914 as the start of the rot. Western civilisation hasn't really recovered, with social structure and Christianity having been in retreat quickly since then.

 

[Senex]

World War One was the catalyst for decline in many European countries and I'd put 1914 as the start of the rot. Western civilisation hasn't really recovered, with social structure and Christianity having been in retreat quickly since then.

I'd go with that one -- Europe, including us, tearing itself apart for no very good reason and needlessly killing off the best part of a generation of its young men, including the best and the brightest. Then going in for a post-war settlement that effectively sowed the seeds for the next one which finally finished Britain off. And now we end up with idiot politicians and their yapping "Let's make Britain Great again" when they don't even understand what "Great Britain" refers to.

(Alternatively, did the rot set in in 411 when the Roman legions were withdrawn?)

 

[YorkshireBear]

(Alternatively, did the rot set in in 411 when the Roman legions were withdrawn?)

Absolutely, Romans far more advanced than any civilisation around in Western Europe at the time and humanity went backwards with their decline.

 

[yorksrob]

Ultimately I think it was when we allowed large swathes of our technical and engineering expertise and our economy to be outsourced and sold off.

We're told that Britain was supposedly on it's knees during the 1970's, but if we'd needed to develop a train or build a nuclear power station there would have been no question that we would have done it. Now we are the Ikea nation as we have to buy everything in as a flat pack.

Also when we started switching from tea to coffee drinking if you ask me.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Depends on what your social and economic circumstances were , middle class in the Victorian era was pretty comfortable , but not if you were making bricks by hand n say the Black Country and /or working down a gas filled pit.

Personally , the end of the 4EPB's was the end of Southern "greatness" .

 

[yorksrob]

Personally , the end of the 4EPB's was the end of Southern "greatness" .

I find it impossible to disagree with that sentiment.

 

[gordonthemoron]

When lager became more popular than bitter

 

[Johnnie2Sheds]

Britain? I wouldn't live anywhere else. But its world influence has been in decline since the end of the first world war. Funny then how folks are still fighting to get here? hmm.

 

[gordonthemoron]

Britain? I wouldn't live anywhere else. But its world influence has been in decline since the end of the first world war. Funny then how folks are still fighting to get here? hmm.

That's probably because:

a) we speak English
b) the newspapers keep saying how great the state benefits are

 

[DarloRich]

It is still great but has changed as it always has and always will.

We have an inclusive, tolerant, liberal democracy based on universal suffrage and equal rights, we have the rule of law, we have institutions of state that look after us when we are ill or fall on hard times, we have even handed and controlled police, criminal justice and armed forces, we have limited corruption in public office, we have exported our values, ingenuity and institutions around the world, we have common values of decency and fairness. We live in a free society that defends the rights of liberty and free speech and respects the individual and the rights of the individual.

Seems like a decent place to me!

World War One was the catalyst for decline in many European countries and I'd put 1914 as the start of the rot. Western civilisation hasn't really recovered, with social structure and Christianity having been in retreat quickly since then.

or we have seen an increase in popular democratic institutions, wider enfranchisement of the population, the diminution of the hereditary class systems, reduction of privilege via ancestry, increase in access to justice, an equalising of opportunity, a reduction of monarchical power and influence and a retreat from slavish observance of religious mumbo jumbory.

Absolutely, Romans far more advanced than any civilisation around in Western Europe at the time and humanity went backwards with their decline.

Apart for the slavery, gladiatorial death matches, the conquest and subjugation of an entire continent and the withdrawal of rights traditionally enjoyed by native populations in favour of rights for roman citizens only?

Apart from that what did the Romans do for us?

 

[AlterEgo]

or we have seen an increase in popular democratic institutions, wider enfranchisement of the population, the diminution of the hereditary class systems, reduction of privilege via ancestry, increase in access to justice, an equalising of opportunity, a reduction of monarchical power and influence and a retreat from slavish observance of religious mumbo jumbory.

That's true, but Western civilisations like ours are very much on the wane, and one wonders how much of it is to do with some of the last vestiges of social structure which went out with WWI.

 

[shredder1]

End of the Commonwealth.

 

[Johnnie2Sheds]

That's probably because:

a) we speak English
b) the newspapers keep saying how great the state benefits are

I believe, that a number of Europeans also speak English and have far better benefits, although I take your point about newspapers.

 

[AlterEgo]

End of the Commonwealth.

But that hasn't happened yet?

 

[BlythPower]

1979 - when neo-liberalism began to destroy the post-war consensus.

And this

Also when we started switching from tea to coffee drinking if you ask me.

and this

When lager became more popular than bitter

 

[DarloRich]

That's true, but Western civilisations like ours are very much on the wane, and one wonders how much of it is to do with some of the last vestiges of social structure which went out with WWI.

is that really true? Communism, for instance, was seen off & I think the islamonut jobs will also be seen off via the power of MTV, play stations, capitalism and cash just as the commies were!

I will agree that we seem to be returning to an almost Victorian laissez-faire approach to the free market coupled with a rise in nationalistic attitudes. However is that all cyclical?